Our bodies are a map of our histories, the narrative of our lives; they record the ways in which we were brought up, our illnesses, our emotional experiences and our beliefs. They reflect the stories we tell ourselves, and the stories others tell about us.

DAŠKA HATTON STAT; RCST

Daška Hatton initially trained as an Alexander Technique Teacher qualifying in 1998. She is a registered Craniosacral Therapist and member of the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique. She has served as a Council member and subsequently a Trustee of the Craniosacral Therapy Association of the UK. She has a certificate in the Foundations of Counselling and Psychotherapy and is currently training to be a supervisor. She is a visiting teacher at the Alexander Technique School, Queens Park.

LIZ KALINOWSKA FCSTA

Liz Kalinowska first studied Craniosacral Therapy while training at the London School of Osteopathy. After qualifying in both disciplines, Liz was invited to be a senior tutor at the College of Cranio-Sacral Therapy. In 1999 she co-founded The Institute of Craniosacral Studies, which sought to integrate different approaches to the Therapy. She is a Fellow of the Craniosacral Therapy Association of the UK having served as both council member and chair. She is a supervisor and is currently Chair of the Disciplinary Committee for the CSTA.

More and more of us are training to be therapists. Every year, schools and training courses release into the therapist market another batch of newly-qualified practitioners. Most of the associations or guilds that they subsequently join will have CPD requirements for ongoing skills development, but not many of the postgraduate courses focus specifically on their personal development as a practitioner.

The co-authors of “Every Body Tells a Story", Daska Hatton and Liz Kalinowska, discuss their background and share insights into issues affecting the professional and personal lives of craniosacral therapists.

As practitioners of Craniosacral Therapy, we often find it a struggle to describe what it is that we do as we work with our clients. It is even harder to try and explain how so much change can occur through just placing your hands on the body and waiting to see what happens. This is indeed mysterious and transformative work, and often feels truly alchemical.

We come to know ourselves through our sensory perceptions of life, how the world affects us and how we move within it. Our bodies are a map of our histories, the narrative of our lives; they record the ways in which we were brought up, they chronicle our accidents and illnesses, our emotional experiences and our beliefs. They reflect the stories we tell ourselves, and the stories others tell about us.

Reading Liz Kalinowska and Daska Hatton’s new book ‘Every Body Tells a Story’ feels like taking a journey down the Amazon. It flows beautifully and invites the reader to step into previously unchartered territory, navigating the highs and lows of the therapist-client relationship as both protagonists embark upon a process of self- discovery, growth and rebirth.

Have you ever felt vulnerable as a practitioner? Which situations have you been in that have made you feel powerless? In this workshop we will look at what triggers vulnerability in a therapist and how our own feelings of inadequacy can be used creatively within the Therapeutic Relationship.

The nature of the work we do involves showing compassion for both our client and ourselves. When, though, is compassion necessary, and could it cloud my clarity around a situation? Does my need to be compassionate ever hold me back or make me judgemental or directive? Could misplaced compassion somehow sabotage my work with a client by making it difficult for me to see the wood for the trees? What is true compassion, and how do I make sure I am showing myself and my clients compassion where appropriate?

The first workshop in our Post Graduate Series, Towards Better Practice, looks at the nuts and bolts of being a Complementary Therapist, moving from negotiating first sessions through to bringing a series of treatments to a close. We will be examining our expectations of what it means to be a practitioner and learning some very practical ways of looking after ourselves as Therapists both inside and outside sessions. However long you have been in practice, our experience is that you will still find something in this workshop to enhance the way you support yourself and your clients. As well as exercises performed in ones or twos, there will also be an opportunity for group supervision where participants can bring client material for discussion.